Moments - Clerith Oneshots
by ClerithRaven
Summary: A series of oneshots written for Cloud and Aerith, with mentions of the rest of the characters here and there.
1. Ice Cream Date

Aerith was just finishing up braiding her hair when her doorbell rang. Securing her braid in a ribbon, she stood and went for the door. The man on the other side had her lips tipping up in a surprised smile.

"Cloud, what are you doing here?" she asked the blonde standing just outside her door.

Cloud took a second to look at her before replying.

"Grab your jacket, let's go."

Having delivered that instruction, Cloud started down the stairs of her apartment.

Curious as to why Cloud was inviting her – yes, she was taking that as an invitation – to go out, Aerith grabbed her jacket that was hanging by the door and followed after Cloud.

When Aerith got outside her building, Cloud was already waiting for her on his bike, the engines running and obviously ready to go.

"Where are we going?" she asked as she neared him.

Cloud waited for Aerith to get on his bike and get a firm hold around his waist before saying, "Ice cream."

Whatever Aerith was going to say in reply was swallowed up by the sound of the engines as Cloud drove toward wherever he was planning to take her to.

Aerith couldn't help but gape at the store that Cloud had brought her to. It was the newly opened ice cream shop that she had been wanting to visit. But that wasn't what had her mouth hanging. It was because of the fact that the shop was as girly as it could get with the pink, ribbons, lace and the frills on nearly every decoration it had. After all, it was a shop that mostly caters to the female's tastes.

"H-how...? How did you know about this place?" she whispered through her shock, staring at the man beside her.

Cloud looked away and replied, "Heard you talking about it with the girls."

Ah. Cloud must have heard her when she was asking about the shop to Tifa and Yuffie during their call last week. Both women had been telling her to try it out, tempting her with tales of how delicious their flavours were, especially her favourite.

She told them she would when she got the time. But things have been busy with her flower shop that she had forgotten. Today was the first break she got, but she hadn't been able to tell Cloud since it was a last minute thing she arranged to accommodate requests from her employees.

It made her ask, "How did you know I was free today, though?"

"Asked your employees to cover for you." Cloud said it so softly that Aerith almost didn't hear it. _Almost_. And he still wouldn't look at her.

Leaning toward him, Aerith tried to catch his eyes but Cloud just evaded her attempts. She knew he must be feeling embarrassed at having to admit the fact that he planned for a date. Something that her lover never really did much of.

Smiling at the thought, Aerith took Cloud's hand in hers and pulled him inside.

"Hello! Welcome to Cold Haven Creamery. What can I get you?" the female attendant greeted cheerfully.

They had all sorts of flavors to choose from, but Aerith knew what she wanted. "Strawberry Cheesecake for me, please."

The girl looked to Cloud for his order.

"Chocolate for me."

The choice surprised Aerith. It wasn't what Cloud usually chose.

After getting their ice cream, Aerith led Cloud to one of the booths near the window. Cloud took the seat opposite her.

"Feeling adventurous enough to deviate from your usual vanilla, Cloud?" she teased the spiky-haired man who was her heart.

"Once in a while," Cloud muttered. He smirked before adding, "You should already know, though."

"Cloud!" she exclaimed, her cheeks flushed. The smirk on Cloud's face because he got one on Aerith had her laughing though, her embarrassment forgotten. It wasn't often that Cloud felt playful enough to tease her back like that.

"Eat your ice cream before it melts, Aerith," Cloud told her with a smile.

She didn't need to be told twice. Her first lick of her strawberry cheesecake ice cream had her moaning in delight. "Cloud, this is so good!"

"Glad you like it." He took a lick of his chocolate one, said, "Mine's fine, too."

"Fine?" Aerith snorted. "This is _more_ than fine. Here, have a taste." She held out hers for Cloud.

Cloud just looked at her with a raised brow, obviously not willing to have a taste.

"All mine, then. You're missing out, Cloud." she claimed with a shrug.

He just grunted in reply.

"Your ice cream is dripping," Cloud pointed out after a while. She mustn't have responded fast enough because Cloud took the hand she was holding the ice cream with.

She was expecting Cloud to just dab a napkin on the melted ice cream. But the man gave her a jolt when he ran his toungue over the liquid on her hand.

"Mm. You were right," Cloud murmured with a grin. "It is good."

"Wh-ho-you," she stammered. Heat crept up from her neck to her cheeks.

"You're getting more on your hand, Aerith," Cloud noted, seemingly unperturbed. "Keep it up and I'll just do the same thing again."

That got her to grab a napkin from the box and wipe the melted cream off her hand. Her frantic actions got Cloud laughing softly, the sound a precious one.

"Someone's feeling playful this afternoon," she observed afterward, an indulgent smile on her face.

"Must be the ice cream," he returned.

Aerith had to laugh at that. If ice cream got Cloud to loosen up like this, she was going to stock up.


	2. Mission: Ring Shopping

There were a few moments in his life that could was render Cloud Strife helpless. With all that he had been through, this moment, standing outside a jewelry store, could probably well be the most helpless he had felt in a long time. Of course, in his defense, he had never done much shopping before – jewelry shopping especially.

But he had something important to do, one he considered a mission. He would just have to suck it up. He was SOLDIER First Class, anyway. He could do something as simple as shop for a ring, right? How hard could it be?

Gulping down his nervousness, Cloud took that step that would lead him inside _Cali's Treasury_. A bell on the door signaled his entry.

 _Mission start._

Display cases of various jewelries lined the walls of the store. Passing rows and rows of the precious trinkets, he could see the shop had everything could adorn the human body, from dainty anklets to sophisticated earrings.

Seeing the case assigned to rings, he made his way to take a look. What he saw had him reevaluating the difficulty of this mission.

Who ever said shopping for a ring was a simple feat? Oh. _He_ did. Fool that he was. Another moment of helplessness for him.

He was still berating himself when he heard a chirpy, female voice say, "Can I be of help?"

Raising his gaze, Cloud found a teenaged girl standing opposite of the case he was examining. She was wearing a nametag with the store's logo on it, she must be an employee.

Since Cloud knew he was out of his depth with this whole venture, he was taking the girl's help.

"I'm looking for a ring," he said to the teen, feeling awkward all of a sudden.

"What's it for? Something for an event?" the girl inquired.

"Well, I'm looking for an engagement ring," he answered.

His answer seemed to please the teenager because she smiled wide. "Did anything catch your attention? That could help narrow your choices down," she suggested with a wave of her hand to the number of rings displayed inside the glass case.

Cloud shifted his gaze back to the rings, considered each, but really couldn't choose one. He should have asked one of their friends to come with him, it would have made this easier. He must have taken a long time because the girl spoke again.

"I've found from previous experience that asking about the buyer's significant other helps tremendously," she suggested.

Good to know he hadn't been the only one who was troubled with the same problem.

"What's her name?"

"Aerith."

"Hmm, sounds like earth," the teen commented. "Okay, can you tell me more about her? Like, what about her attracts you the most?"

That got Cloud speechless for a moment. Several answers rose in his mind, it was difficult for him to pick just one.

The girl took pity on him, and prompting him asked, "What about the first time you met her, what drew you to her?"

Now _that_ , he had no trouble thinking about.

"Her eyes," he muttered, reminded of their first meeting.

 _"Excuse me, what happened?"_ she had asked him, her eyes drawing him in. A flower girl caught in the middle of the chaos of his mission with AVALANCHE.

Cloud bought a flower from her, a rare thing in Midgar. That had pleased her, gifting him with a smile that banished the look of worry she had on her face. He could remember thinking if that smile costed only one gil, it was a good purchase.

Coming out of his musings, he added, "She had these impressive eyes, eyes that held an innocent radiance to her."

"Diamonds," the girl muttered, lost in thought. She was probably making a list in her head based on Cloud's answers. She started to walk away, stopped, asked him, "Eye color?"

"Green," he responded.

"Heh. Emeralds." Muttering under her breath, the girl changed course and went through a door at the back of the shop. She came back after a while, now holding what seemed to be a book of some kind, browsing through the pages.

"I'm thinking this may be of more help," she spoke as she walked back toward her old position. "We've had lots of males come in here looking for jewelries, rings especially, but had trouble picking one. So Cali, the owner, thought of making a catalogue for them to go through, and hopefully finally find something to start with," she went on. That explained what she was holding.

Laying the catalog down in front of Cloud, she said, "I guess it's better for us to take one step at a time, a sort of customization. Most of our customers gave positive feedback, often commenting their purchase fit the wearer perfectly, made them feel more special."

Giving an encouraging smile, she added, "The way you talked about her, it's obvious she's a very special lady to you."

Cloud nodded his agreement. He found that thinking about Aerith indeed made it easier for him to make a choice. Thankfully, he was the only customer at the time since it was early in the morning. His awkward attempt and indecisiveness wouldn't cause the lone attendant too much of a bother.

"Let's start with the materials, shall we?" she prompted. "I'd suggest you go for the platinum one – durable and it stays white. Scratches aren't a problem as well. In fact, it will give it a patina finish, that's a vintage or antique look, if scratched. Our customers love it."

Cloud had no idea of mostly what the girl just explained, but he nodded nonetheless. What she said, the parts he understood, sounded perfect for Aerith. His lover would always fight alongside him, no matter how much he protested. If platinum would aid the ring in surviving a few rough battles, that's what he'd get.

"Done," she chirped as she took out a tablet and clicked on a few things. "Design, next." She indicated for him to leaf through the book.

Cloud turned over the pages, stopped after a few, his attention caught by a certain ring.

The girl noticed the page he was on. "That's one of Cali's newer designs. Said it reminded her of flowers."

It was perfect. "This one," he voiced aloud. "She loves flowers, and the braided pattern fits her."

She smiled again before making a few more clicks on the tablet. "Last are the stones. Yours has five, a center, round cut, and two marquis cut gems on both sides. What will they be? Wanna go for the diamonds and emeralds?"

Cloud started to nod, but an idea came to mind. "Can you add in something pink as well?" His lover adored the color, always had something pink on her no matter what she wore or where she went.

"No biggie," she returned. A few more clicks on the device, then a _ding_ sounded off. "What do you think?" she asked as she showed him the screen.

What he saw had him speechless yet again. It was perfect for Aerith, at least he thought it was.

"I'm taking that as a "Yes"," the girl concluded, another smile on her face.

He just nodded. He couldn't really say anything else.

"Almost done," she announced. "I just have to get the ring size now. Do you know hers?"

"I don't, but…" Cloud reached into his pocket, taking out a red string, "I have this."

That had the girl giggling. "The red string of fate," she whispered fondly. "Though, it should have been the pinky finger, not the ring finger. Good job getting it though." She took the string in her hand and strode toward another desk, probably to measure the circumference and get Aerith's size.

The memory of how he got it had Cloud's cheeks flushing. He'd asked help from Tifa and Yuffie, clueless on how to gain information on Aerith's ring size.

A few nights ago, while both women were visiting with Aerith, Yuffie had started teasing both Cloud and Aerith about being a destined pair. That was when Tifa pulled out a red string, and then both proceeded to tie one on each of their fingers. He had protested at first, but cluing in on the women's scheme, went along willingly in the end.

Aerith had made the same comment as the teenaged attendant. "The red string is tied on the pinky, not the ring finger," she had laughingly stated.

Yuffie had made a show of "realizing the mistake" and maneuvering events so that Cloud would get the uncut portion that Aerith had on her finger. The same portion of string that was now in the shop attendant's possession.

His thoughts were brought back to the present when he heard the teenager speak again.

"The ring will be done after a couple of weeks," she informed him. "You just have to make a deposit today, then the full payment to be completed upon pick-up." She motioned for him to follow her toward the counter.

Cloud handed over his card. "Thank you for the help…" Realizing he didn't know her name, he glanced at her nametag again. "Aly," he added with a chagrined smile.

Aly just smiled agreeably, used to having people come and go without really knowing her name. She took the card and rang his purchase. "All done," she exclaimed as she gave his card back along with a receipt. "Come back on the due date indicated on the receipt to pick up your ring."

"Mm."

With a nod, Cloud turned and left.

 _Almost there._

 _He was nervous._

It was the day for Cloud to pick up Aerith's engagement ring from _Cali's Treasury_. He had been feeling a tense anticipation even since he had woken up. Finally, it was getting done.

He was standing at a counter marked "Pick-Up", waiting for Aly to hand him the ring. The teenager was getting it from the storage at the back of the shop.

A few more moments of waiting, and then she was there. A black velvet box was in her hand.

"Here you go, Mr. Strife."

Aly presented the opened box, giving Cloud the first look on the finished jewelry.

The ring looked better in reality comparison to the picture he saw weeks ago.

"Perfect," he complimented.

"I know, right?" Aly gushed. "Cali, she's the ownder, said it's one of the best she had ever made in a long time," she added, surprising Cloud.

"The owner made it?"

"Yep. When I told her about your Aerith, she said she knew of her. Decided to make the ring herself."

If the owner knew of Aerith, she must have been someone who had bought a flower from his flower girl. Aerith had been selling her flowers in the area before, so it was highly possible.

"Give the owner my thanks," he requested sincerely.

"Will do," she returned.

Full payment made, Aly wrapped everything up, tying the box in a red ribbon and placing it inside one of the store's bag. She handed it over to Cloud with a smile. "Good luck on your proposal, Mr. Strife."

Cloud returned the girl's smile with his own. "Thanks."

 _Mission accomplished._

Now, Cloud just had to propose to Aerith. It was another mission, of course. One he'd been prepared for a long time. He was just waiting for the right moment to do so. He wanted it to be a memorable moment for Aerith.

He had no idea that the time would come so soon.


	3. A Lazy Day

Aerith Gainsborough woke to the warmth of the sun on her face. She blinked a few times while she waited for her vision to clear of the haze of sleep. A yawn escaped her as she tried to rise from her sleeping position. _Tried_ being the operative word because an arm had her locked in place. That arm belonged to Cloud Strife, the man who seemed adamant not to let go of his hold on her.

She couldn't remember exactly how they had slept, but she knew for a fact that their sleeping positions had changed during the night. That had Aerith giggling quietly. No matter what position they slept in, she always found herself being spooned from behind and wrapped in a tight embrace by her lover when the morning came.

His hold on her tightened as she moved to stand, as if refusing to let her leave his embrace. A few more attempts and she got herself free. She stood and walked to the window, pulling the curtains apart to let more of the sunlight in the room. It looked like it was going to be a great day.

She went back to the bed and nudged her lover awake. "Cloud, get up. It's morning already."

No reaction from the man who was seemed sound asleep.

"Cloud." She tried shaking him awake. "Cloud, get your ass up. I have to-kyaaa!" She cut off with a squeal as her hand was seized in a firm grip and found herself falling into bed again, giggling all the way.

Cloud tumbled her down on the bed and enveloped her in his arms, her back to his front – the same spooning position they had earlier.

"What are you doing?" she asked with a laugh. "We don't have time to laze around in bed, Cloud." She tried pulling his arm away, but it was like trying to lift a heavy boulder. The man just won't budge, really.

"I know you're awake, Cloud," she said to the man who was her beloved, playful exasperation in her tone.

"Mm," was the non-answer as he pulled her closer to the warmth of his body, his breath tickling the sensitive area behind her ear.

When nothing she did eased his grip, she tried turning over to face him. Cloud's hold loosened a bit only to allow her to move a bit. Once she was in position, his arm locked her in place yet again.

"Cloud," she called faintly in a sing-song voice, "we really need to get up, love." She had to try and reason with him. "Denzel's gonna wake soon. He'd requested pancakes for breakfast today."

"I'm pretty sure he's not gonna wake for a coupla hours more, Aerith," Cloud countered in a murmur, still not willing to fully wake up from his slumber. "He was up late way past his bedtime playing that new video game. We can be lazy for a while."

"And you know this, how?" she asked, arching a brow.

A wince. "I might have… played with him for a bit."

That wasn't so bad. But she know the tone of Cloud's voice, knew there was more to it than what he had already told her. So she waited.

"And then allowed him to convince me to play with him past his bedtime," he added begrudgingly.

"What?" she exclaimed in a whisper. If Denzel really had slept late, she wasn't going to wake him up and deprive him of sleep, even if it was his own fault. That didn't excuse her man, though.

"Cloud Strife!" She swatted the arm around her waist. "He has a set bedtime for a reason. Convince you, really? I'd bet he practically begged you to let him stay awake after his bedtime."

Cloud opened one eye and gave her a one-eyed stare. "I couldn't exactly tell him no after he did." He leaned closer and murmured, "Just like how you couldn't tell him no when he asked you if we could buy that damn video game for him."

A blush crept up her cheeks. Cloud had her there. Well, in her defense, Denzel had looked so hopeful yet hesitant at the same time as he showed them that game. Denzel's blue eyes had shined in anticipation, a look that was so rare from the boy. Who could've said no to that?

Denzel didn't ask for much from them ever since they took him in and adopted him almost half a year ago. It took a lot of cajoling for him to actually voice out any of his wants. In fact – now that she thought about it – that must have been only the third of fourth time he had asked for something for himself.

"We know Denzel isn't gonna wake up any time soon," he said as he closed his opened eye, "So shut up and just go back to sleep." A decree punctuated by squeezing her impossibly closer.

Aerith gave in and snuggled against Cloud, resting her hand on his chest. She could feel the beat of his heart in her hands. This was her favorite way of sleeping with him. Something about it reassured her.

Silence filled the air between them, but it wasn't uncomfortable. Cloud thought his woman had finally started to fall back asleep when he heard her talk.

"We did vow to do everything we can to give him as normal a childhood as we could." It was spoken in a tender tone – a concession.

"You're not sleeping, though," Cloud grumbled in reply.

A chuckle from his brunette. "I'm not feeling sleepy, Cloud."

Cloud grinned, the grin he knew Aerith thought of as mischievous yet endearing. "I know of a sure way to get you relaxed enough to sleep." He opened his eyes to look at her reaction.

Cloud's mako-blue eyes met Aerith's stunned, innocent green ones. Her cheeks were flushed with color, no doubt embarrassed at his innuendo.

"Oh, you're terrible!" She slapped him on the arm.

Cloud couldn't stop himself – he laughed at the scandalized look on her face. Aerith just looked at him with her version of an evil stare. But she was soon laughing with him, her embarrassment forgotten.

Cloud took advantage of Aerith's distraction and tickled her. A peal of feminine laughter filled the room.

"Mercy. Mercy!" Aerith wheezed out the plea when Cloud gave her no quarter.

They continued the playful struggle and made quite the ruckus. It was no surprise they found a brown-haired boy peeking inside the room. Cloud noticed him first so he stopped her torment and nodded towards the boy.

Aerith immediately went to Denzel and crouched in front of him. She laid a gentle caress on his cheek, "Sorry, dear. Did we wake you?"

Denzel shook his head, his eyes still bleary from being woken. The kid looked so sleepy it was a wonder he was upright. "I just remembered…" He looked to Cloud, then back to Aerith. "Mom and Dad used to laugh like that," he confessed in a rushed whisper. The memory must have evoked emotions that led him to come to them for comfort.

Aerith smiled at Denzel, delight in her eyes. Denzel knew it was because she was proud of him for having voices the memory aloud. Cloud didn't smile, but he had the same pride in his eyes when Denzel looked at him.

Their reactions stemmed from the fact that he used to break off his speech once he realized he might accidentally mention his parents. Cloud and Aerith had encouraged him to talk about them more, but the pain had been too unbearable that he just tried to avoid the topic completely. But the pain was getting better – _he_ was getting better.

Like they had told him, his parents were a part of him and they deserved to be remembered by the son they loved and continued to watch over. He could do no other than honour their memory and share them with the people who took him in, accepted him, and treated him as their own.

"Aerith said you wanted pancakes," Cloud said in the tender silence that followed. It was his way of lightening the mood because he knew Denzel was still uncomfortable with their affection. It will take time, but he knew things would get better for their family of three.

The boy shook his head again. "Maybe not yet." He swayed a bit as he stifled a yawn. Sleep was beckoning him.

"This is what you get when you play so late into the night," Aerith scolded Denzel gently. She gave a pointed stare to Cloud as well.

Denzel rubbed an eye while he yawned. "I wanted someone to play with, so I waited for Cloud." Another yawn. Suddenly, he got an impish glint in his eyes. "If I had a brother, I wouldn't have to wait and stay up so late."

That got Aerith sputtering, her mouth agape as she looked at Denzel. She then turned accusing eyes to Cloud as if he was the one to blame for the kid's words. Cloud couldn't do anything but shrug his shoulders. He had no idea where that came from.

Mischief carried out, Denzel walked out of the room without a word and closed the door. Standing just outside the door, he said, "Just saying, you wouldn't want Zack and Tifa to beat you to it."

"Denzel!" That was Aerith. She sounded so peeved. Cloud just laughed, though.

Denzel was wearing a smile when he reached his room and lay back down in his bed. The smile was still in place as he closed his eyes and surrendered to slumber.

Cloud was still laughing while Aerith stood and jabbed an incriminating finger at him. "Cloud Strife! What have you been teaching Denzel?"

"That was more likely Zack's influence than mine, love." Cloud got his laughter under control. He stood and approached his enraged lover. Taking her in his arms while skilfully avoiding her light punches, he added, "You know how much he hangs out at their bar because of Marlene."

"I don't think he's a good influence on Denzel."

Cloud snickered. He turned Aerith in his arms and touched his forehead to hers. "A little bit of mischief doesn't hurt."

Aerith narrowed her eyes at him, plotting her revenge on the foolish man who was Cloud's friend. "Doesn't mean I won't hurt him for that mischief."

"Whatever you're planning in that gorgeous head of yours, I'm in."

"Tifa'll be in it, too, I'm sure."

"Zack is well and truly fucked."

That succeeded in getting a laugh out of Aerith.

"So, Denzel wants a brother." A gentle bite on the sensitive space between her neck and shoulder. "We did vow to give him a normal childhood. Siblings are part of the deal, I think."

"Oh my god! Cloud!" For the third time that morning, Cloud received a hit on the arm.

Cloud just scooped Aerith up in his arms and deposited her on the bed. "Stop hitting me, lover," he growled at her playfully as he covered her body with his.

Giggling, Aerith put her hands on Cloud's shoulders. "I thought you were feeling lazy this morning," she teased.

"We can be lazy after." He took Aerith's hands and laid them above her head.

She chuckled but didn't protest his hold. "Guess we have a plan."

With that, Cloud kissed Aerith, his lover's laughter a taste he loved on his lips.


	4. At First Sight

The feel of a soft hand caressing his cheek woke Cloud from his sleep. He would know that touch anywhere. Craved it with every fiber of his being. Opening his eyes, he was greeted with the sight of the face of his beloved.

"Good morning, sleepyhead," she said in an affectionate whisper. The smile she had on her lips was filled with bliss.

"Morning," he replied, giving a smile of his own. It was still a foreign action to him, smiling. Somehow, he found himself smiling a lot whenever he was around the brunette that had captured his heart.

Aerith tucked the hand she touched him with under her cheek, her ever-present smile lingering on her face. They stayed that way for a long while, staring at each other as they lay on the bed facing each other, basking in the tenderness of the moment.

There were no pressing matters they needed to attend to, since Denzel was over at Barret's for a sleepover. So they had time to themselves for the day. It was one of those lazy days, maybe.

Aerith spoke after a while. "Ne, Cloud. Can I ask you something?" She was still whispering, her voice filled with her affection for him.

"Mm," he said in affirmative.

"Do you remember the first time we met? The very first time we saw each other?"

Cloud hadn't expected that, so it took him a few moments to pull up the memory. "I remember."

* * *

He changed his position and lay on his back as he thought back to that moment. "We had just set off a bomb for a mission to destroy a reactor, AVALANCHE and me."

"Everyone was in such a panic. But you looked so calm amidst all the chaos, so I asked you what all the fuss was about, thinking you were rational enough to answer." The woman who was his heart and soul snuggled closer to his side. "Little did I know, you were the very reason everyone was running around in fear." She placed her hand on his chest and rested her chin on top of it. "What was going through that thick head of yours when you saw me?"

Cloud wrapped an arm around her shoulders, his arm serving as her pillow, his hand running through the silk of her hair. "The first thing I thought of was that you had such impressive eyes."

"Really?" Total disbelief in her tone.

Cloud nodded but kept his gaze on the ceiling. "Your eyes had that innocent radiance in them, so different from my own. I hated my eyes back then because it reminded me of ShinRa." His murmured confession was answered by a touch of her lips on his cheek.

"I love your eyes, though." She parted his wayward, spiky, blonde hair to reveal his mako-blue eyes. "Your eyes caught my attention as well. They were such a unique color. They reminded me of the Lifestream–the life of the Planet." The Planet that she loved.

"Which is why I don't hate them as much now." He rubbed a few strands of her hair between his fingertips, relishing the softness.

"Is that all?" A playful inquiry from the brunette.

Cloud deliberated whether he should continue. But then thought, _Fuck it_ , and confessed, "I almost asked you to get out of the area as soon as you approached me. It would have been so dangerous for you to stay there."

"But?"

Cloud looked at her when he said "I saw your flowers. Flowers were so rare on Midgar." He chuckled a bit. "But you sold one to me for only one gil." His expression turned baffled. "Who sells a rare commodity for one gil, by the way?"

Aerith laughed out loud, her innocence evident in every note. "I usually sell them for a higher price, especially to jerks that couldn't get a clue." She rolled her eyes in remembered exasperation. "But, there was just something about you that gave me a good feeling towards you. So, a gil it was," she added with a shrug. "You're the one who bought it, so don't go complaining about it."

"No complaints here," Cloud countered. "That gil was worth it to see the worried look on your face vanish." He recalled the look of pleasure on his woman's face from having sold the flower. "You smiled at me, then." A smile that was just like the flowers she held dear – beautiful and precious.

"Aha!" She was suddenly leaning over him with her hands on either side of his face to brace her; her expression one of startled glee. "You were crushing on me then, weren't you?"

Cloud could feel the heat that crept up his neck. "Says the one who sold me a rare flower for a gil. Pot, meet kettle."

Her laughter filled the room once more. The sound was so infectious it pulled a chuckle from him. "Touché, Strife."

Aerith laid her cheek against Cloud's chest as she wrapped an arm around his waist. Cloud in turn went back to playing with her hair. "Then we met again at the Church."

"Yeah, we met again." Cloud could only grimace as he remembered that moment. "Falling through the roof of the Church and crashing down to the flowers must not have given a good impression."

A giggle from his lover. "It was all right, though it did give me quite a scare. Thank goodness the flower bed broke your fall. Then I realized it was you, that guy who bought a flower from me. I was so happy you remembered me."

Cloud cupped Aerith's cheek, his thumb tilting her gaze to his. "I would never have forgotten you," he vowed. His sincerity was laced in every word.

But then a grin broke out as he added, "Though I was tempted to joke around and say you were a slum drunk."

That got him a slap to his stomach. "That would have been so rude!" Aerith whacked him again for good measure.

He caught her hand and held it to his chest to stop the assault on him. Though it didn't really damage him, it still hurt. Aerith's hand would have also felt the sting. "Which is why I didn't go through with it."

She scoffed but settled down again, threading her fingers with his. "You're lucky I liked you."

"I know," he intoned.

They stayed silent again for a while. "I'm grateful you fell through the roof." Aerith had a tender look in her eyes. "Or else we wouldn't be here right now, not like this." The last was whispered against her lover's lips.

A gentle kiss between the two. Then another. And another. Gentle turned coaxing. Aerith parted her lips, and Cloud took the unspoken invitation and claimed her in a possessive kiss. Both fed the flames of passion they ignited, and they surrendered to the emotions that burned between them.


End file.
